US proposes annual lung cancer screening for those at high risk

In a draft recommendation, the federal government recommends annual lung cancer screening for people who don't have symptoms but are at high risk for the disease that is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued the draft based in part on a review of studies of lung cancer screenings published Tuesday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Scientists, led by Dr. Linda Humphrey of the Oregon Health & Science University, reviewed existing research on the screenings in this country and abroad, focusing on low-dose computed tomography -- a low-dose X-ray scan known as LDCT.